Method and apparatus for operating a fiber tuft feeder

Abstract

A fiber feeder apparatus includes a driven endless supply conveyor belt having a coneveying surface for supporting a fiber pile and an endless spiked lattice arranged at one end of the supply conveyor belt and extending at an upward inclination therefrom. The spiked lattice has spikes arranged to penetrate into the fiber pile for effecting removal of fibers from the fiber pile. The supply conveyor belt is driven such that the fiber pile is being fed by the conveying surface into contact with the spikes. There is further provided a control device which is connected to the drive of the supply conveyor belt for effecting a nonuniform driving thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fiber feeder apparatus comprising: (a) an endless supply conveyor belt having a conveying surface for supporting a fiber pile;   (b) an endless spiked lattice arranged at one end of the supply conveyor belt and extending at an upward inclination therefrom; said spiked lattice having spikes arranged to penetrate into the fiber pile;   (c) first drive means connected to said spiked lattice for driving the spiked lattice in a conveying direction oriented upwardly from the supply conveyor belt for effecting removal of fibers from the fiber pile by the spikes and entrainment of the fibers by the spiked lattice upwardly from the fiber pile;   (d) a second drive means connected to said supply conveyor belt for driving said supply conveyor belt such that the fiber pile is being fed by the conveying surface into contact with said spikes; and   (e) control means connected to said second drive means for effecting a nonuniform driving of said supply conveyor belt; said control means comprising a time control device;   (f) device and means for reversing direction of said supply convey or belt.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a path controlling device. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said control means is connected to said first drive means for controlling the operation of the spiked lattice. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising quantity measuring means for monitoring the quantity of the fiber pile situated on said conveying surface of said endless supply conveyor belt; said quantity measuring means being connected to said control means for applying to said control means signals representing the quantity of the fiber pile. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said quantity measuring means comprises an optical barrier including a plurality of vertically superposed photocells for measuring the height of the fiber pile situated on said conveying surface. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising fiber quantity measuring means for measuring the quantity of fiber subsequently to a discharge thereof by said spiked lattice; said fiber quantity measuring means being connected to said control means for applying to said control means signals representing the fiber quantity discharged by said spiked lattice. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said fiber quantity measuring means comprises a fiber material throughput measuring device. 
     
     
       8. A method of operating a feeder for fiber material comprising the steps of (a) positioning a fiber material pile on a supply conveyor;   (b) nonuniformly driving the supply conveyor toward a spiked lattice with nonuniform speed for moving the fiber pile into contact with the spiked lattice; said step of nonuniformly driving the supply conveyor including the step of periodically reversing the travelling direction of the supply conveyor for short durations; and   (c) driving the spiked lattice for causing spikes of the spiked lattice to penetrate into the fiber material and to remove and carry away in an upward direction fiber therefrom.   
     
     
       9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the length of the path travelled by the supply conveyor in a forward direction towards said spiked lattice during each period of forward travel is greater than the length of the path travelled by the supply conveyor in a reverse direction away from said spiked lattice during each period of reverse travel. 
     
     
       10. A fiber feeder apparatus comprising: (a) an endless supply conveyor belt having a conveying surface for supporting a fiber pile;   (b) an endless spiked lattice arranged at one end of the supply conveyor belt and extending at an upward inclination therefrom; said spiked lattice having spikes arranged to penetrate into the fiber pile and having an upper and a lower end;   (c) means for pivotally supporting the spiked lattice to permit the lower end to carry out a swinging motion towards and away from said endless supply conveyor belt;   (d) first drive means connected to said spiked lattice for driving the spiked lattice in a conveying direction oriented upwardly from the supply conveyor belt for effecting removal of fibers from the fiber pile by the spikes and entrainment of the fibers by the spiked lattice upwardly from the fiber pile; and   (e) a second drive means connected to said supply conveyor belt for driving said supply conveyor belt such that the fiber pile is being fed by the conveying surface into contact with said spikes.   
     
     
       11. A fiber feeder apparatus comprising: (a) an endless supply conveyor belt having a conveying surface for supporting a fiber pile;   (b) an endless spiked lattice arranged at one end of the supply conveyor belt and extending at an upward inclination therefrom; said spiked lattice having spikes arranged to penetrate into the fiber pile;   (c) first drive means connected to said spiked lattice for driving the spiked lattice in a conveying direction oriented upwardly from the supply conveyor belt for effecting removal of fibers from the fiber pile by the spikes and entrainment of the fibers by the spiked lattice upwardly from the fiber pile;   (d) a second drive means connected to said supply conveyor belt for driving said supply conveyor belt such that the fiber pile is being fed by the conveying surface into contact with said spikes; and   (e) control means connected to said second drive means for effecting a nonuniform driving of said supply conveyor belt; said control means being arranged for reversing an operating direction of said second drive means.